CBS Television Distribution’s syndicated strip The Doctors will change its format and reveal a new host when it returns for season 13 on Sept. 21. It’s also moving production out of Los Angeles and into a new state-of-the-art studio on the East Coast, CTD said.
Dr. Ian Smith, former medical correspondent for CTD’s Rachael Ray and NBC’s Today and Nightly News, will take over for the panel that previously hosted the show, including emergency room physician Dr. Travis Stork, who had been there since launch in 2008; plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon, who also had been there since launch; OB/GYN Dr. Nita Landry, who joined the show in 2017 along with neuropsychologist Dr. Judy Ho and dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra, who had been there since 2016.
Smith also will host the show as a single-host talker for the first time in the program’s history. When it returns this season, it will launch with the theme “Take Your Power Back,” which is designed to help viewers manage their mental, physical and emotional health.
“This is an unprecedented time, and people are looking for the latest in updates delivered in an easy to understand format, and The Doctors is the perfect place to help us all take control of our lives,” said Smith in a statement. “Helping people learn how to be the best versions of themselves is a personal passion of mine, and I am excited to bring viewers unbiased information and facts, free of any political slant, to help them take their power back.”
In the week ended Aug. 2, The Doctors held at its series-low 0.4 live plus same day national household ratings average for the ninth straight week, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Besides acting as a medical correspondent on various TV shows, Smith is the author of 18 books, including Shred, Super Shred and The 4 Day Diet, as well as two novels, The Blackbird Papers and The Ancient Nine. His recently released book, Mind Over Weight, addresses one of the biggest obstacles in weight loss: mental fitness.
Smith is a graduate of Harvard College, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He also served two terms on the President's Council for Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition under President Barack Obama.
The Doctors is produced by Jay and Dr. Phil McCraw’s Stage 29 Productions and distributed by CTD. Jay and Phil McGraw, Carla Pennington and Patricia Ciano are executive producers, with Ciano showrunning.
